From the Baltimore Sun:

 

While the Orioles' biggest star was excited about not being dealt at yesterday's non-waiver trade deadline, another one of the club's most expensive players was far from thrilled.

 

Designated hitter Javy Lopez said he was hoping he would learn that he'd be shipped off to a place where he could catch full time - or at least more than he is doing with the Orioles.

 

Instead, the trade deadline came and went, and Lopez - like All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada - remained in the Orioles' clubhouse. More disappointing for him, he's also staying on the bench, where he has been relegated now that Jay Gibbons is back in the lineup but unable to play the outfield.

 

"I think that what makes more sense at the moment would be to put me on waivers so I can play somewhere else," said Lopez, who lost his starting catcher's job when Ramon Hernandez was signed as a free agent in December. "That way the team would have less headaches in putting the lineup together every day and I'd be more comfortable playing somewhere else instead of once a week here."

 

Lopez, who has eight homers and 31 RBIs in 75 games, has started two of the past six games. He expressed his displeasure with what he believes is a failure by the front office and manager Sam Perlozzo to explain his role.

 

"It is uncomfortable the fact that you don't hear anything. Communication in this organization is very, very poor," Lopez said. "You have no idea what is happening. And the reason why you are not playing for a while they don't even give you a heads-up to tell you what's going on."

 

When informed of Lopez's comments and his interest in being released, Orioles vice president Jim Duquette seemed surprised.

 

"If he wants to give back his salary, we would be happy to release him, but that's not anything we would expect him to do," Duquette said. "We are paying him [$8.5] million. We expect him to play as Sam decides to use him. It's pretty cut and dried."

 

If the Orioles were to put Lopez on waivers and he were not claimed, the team would have to pick up the approximately $3 million remaining on a three-year, $22.5 million contract signed before the 2004 season. That's something they don't want to do.

 

Instead, they have attempted to trade Lopez - offering to pick up a majority of his salary - and couldn't find a taker. Duquette said he even took the unusual step of allowing Lopez's agent to look for a trade partner and was unsuccessful.

 

Because Lopez likely would pass through waivers unclaimed, the Orioles could continue to try to deal him during the last two months of the season, Duquette said.

 

Gibbons has told Perlozzo he would platoon with Lopez if desired, but the club prefers to keep Gibbons' bat in the lineup as much as possible.

 

"[Lopez] is going to get some at-bats," Perlozzo said. "I doubt Gibby's going to be able to go every day. We'll do the best we can."

Not trading Lopez doesn't really make sense, but when was the last time the Orioles did something not stupid? It's time for a regime change.

The Orioles should have traded both Tejada and Lopez.

 

Why? You aren't going to be able to get that value back and Tejada is a huge chip you can build around.

The Orioles should have traded both Tejada and Lopez.

 

Why? You aren't going to be able to get that value back and Tejada is a huge chip you can build around.

I think they should build around Bedard, Hernandez, and Markakis. I think dealing Tejada to the Astros would've been terrible though. I only would've dealt him for the farm.

But why do you need to get rid of him? He's apparently happy there. He doesn't miss a game, is in his prime, is one of the better #3 hitters in the game and is a perennial all-star.

 

With the way the free agent market is going up, his 12 million per isn't that bad for a player of his caliber (O's are going to have about 16 million freed up when Javy, Millar, Chen, and Conine are gone.) and you can't replace .330/.380/.520 at the drop of the hat. Dealing Tejada just sets the team back and keeps even more fans away from the park.

I can see my "tocayo" going to the BoSox till Varitek comes back.

The Astros offered Roy Oswalt, Adam Everett, and a prospect for Tejada. For whatever reason the Orioles turned that down.

If the Angels really offered what they supposedly did(Erick Aybar, Ervin Santana, and Casey Kotchman), the Orioles are complete idiots for not accepting.

the orioles are idiots for more reasons than one

The Astros offered Roy Oswalt, Adam Everett, and a prospect for Tejada. For whatever reason the Orioles turned that down.

 

they offered Oswalt? :drool

Sportscenter says he's been reportedly acquired by Boston.

The Globe's Gordon Edes reports that a deal has been put in place for the team to acquire former All-Star catcher Javier Lopez through a waiver wire trade.

 

The deal is expected to be announced on Friday.

 

If true, the move would help offset the loss of team captain Jason Varitek, who had knee surgery on today.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds..._a_red_sox.html

im really glad lopez is a red sox.

he's going to turn his season around.

Ellsbury?

Wow, very interesting. Will he be playing tonight?

Ellsbury?

 

That's not a mid-level prospect.

 

Hopefully it's someone like Abe Alvarez

no way its ellsbury. that would suck badly...

 

hopefully it was choi, but whatever im not worried about who they gave up, theo epstein knows what he's doing.

Wow, very interesting. Will he be playing tonight?

 

No, we'll play Huckaby for tonight and then send him back down.

 

Tito was on the phone with him and told him we'd see him in Tampa according to the guy who broke the story.

Wow, very interesting. Will he be playing tonight?

 

 

nope, maybe he will start tomorrow, tonight's starter is Huckaby, (first and last)

Ellsbury?

 

That's not a mid-level prospect.

 

Hopefully it's someone like Abe Alvarez

Alvarez is a warm body, its got to be somone stronger than that.

Why? Baltimore doesn't want him on the team anymore and was willing to eat most if not all of his remaining contract at the deadline. They will take what they can get.

 

Ellsbury is either 1A or 1B in the Sox system.

Why? Baltimore doesn't want him on the team anymore and was willing to eat most if not all of his remaining contract at the deadline. They will take what they can get.

 

Ellsbury is either 1A or 1B in the Sox system.

 

Fair point, if they did get him for Abe, with them eating most of his salary its a great deal given the sox catching situation.

He's been pretty terrible this year. He's still probably better than Huckaby, though. Maybe a change of scenery will help him.

Nice move. I'm glad they picked him up.. but what happens when Varitek comes back?

Being an O's fan myself I wanted him gone.

 

He complained even when the Orioles did play him.

 

Nobody wanted him so that's why he wasn't traded.

 

Luckily now the Sox have varitek down so maybe they're desperate enough to deal someone good away.

 

Maybe the O's can package Luis Terrerro, who has also cleared waivers, and Javy for Wily Mo Pena.

 

That probably wont happen but if the red sox get desperate, they might pull the trigger.

 

That's a big MIGHT